US20060129144A1 - Electrode device for high frequency thermotherapy - Google Patents

Abstract

The object of the present invention is to provide an electrode device for high frequency thermotherapy, including a main casing, an electrode needle, a first engaging part, and a guide unit coupled to the engaging part to be longitudinally moved relative to the electrode needle. The guide unit has a guide tube to receive therein the electrode needle to expose a tip of the electrode needle to the outside of an end of the guide tube. Thus, the exposed length of the tip of the electrode needle is varied according to a position that the guide unit is coupled to the engaging part. The electrode device may further include a three-way valve -provided between the main casing and the guide unit to supply a liquid medicine or water t a desired part of a patient body.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD
• The present invention relates, in general, to electrode devices for high frequency thermotherapy, which cauterize and necrotize lesions of patients, such as cancer tissues caused in the organs of the patients, using high-frequency heat and, more particularly, to an electrode device for high frequency thermotherapy, which controls a length of a conductive tip of an electrode needle, which is inserted into a lesion of a patient, or varies a conductive type of the electrode needle, or supplies water or liquid medicine to the lesion, thus controlling a range of cauterizing the lesion, efficiently cauterizing the lesion, and simplifying a thermotherapy operation.
• 2. Background Art
• Generally, a cancer is caused in an organ of a patient, such as a liver. The cancer is treated by a non-surgical operation or a surgical operation.
• However, in case of the surgical operation, the skin of the patient must be cut over a large area prior to removal of a lesion from the patient body. Therefore, the surgical operation undesirably leaves a large and ugly scar on the skin of the patient and mars the appearance of the patient. Furthermore, the surgical operation undesirably forces the patient to spend a lengthy period of time for recovery.
• Furthermore, when the cancer relapses in the organ of the patient, the surgical operation must be executed again. Thus, the repeated surgical operation undesirably forces the patient to undergo repeated severe pain, in addition to paying additional money. Furthermore, the repeated surgical operation is attended with danger.
• To avoid the above-mentioned problems of the surgical operation, various types of non-surgical operations, such as a transarterial chemoembolization, a percutaneous ethanol injection, a general chemotherapy for cancer, a local thermotherapy and etc., have been used. The local thermotherapy is most effective in the above-mentioned non-surgical operations.
• In the local thermotherapies, there are a high frequency thermotherapy, a microcauterization, a laser cauterization and etc. In the above-mentioned local thermotherapies, the high frequency thermotherapy has been most effectively used.
• The high frequency thermotherapy is a therapy to cauterize and necrotize, for example, cancer tissues caused in the organ of a patient, such as the liver, using high frequency heat without cutting over the skin of the patient prior to the removal of the cancer tissues from the patient body.
• As shown inFIG. 1, a conventional electrode device for the high frequency thermotherapy comprises amain casing5, anelectrode needle6 which is coupled to a first end of themain casing5, and anelectrode cable4 which is coupled to a second end of themain casing5 to supply a high frequency wave to theelectrode needle6. The conventional electrode device further comprises acooling tube3 which is coupled to the second end of themain casing5 to circulate cooling water to or from theelectrode needle6, thus preventing theelectrode needle6 from being damaged by the high frequency heat.
• Theelectrode needle6 typically includes aconductive needle part6awhich is defined at a predetermined part of a tip of theelectrode needle6, and aninsulating needle part6bwhich is defined at a remaining part of theelectrode needle6 except for theconductive needle part6a.
• At this time, preferably, a plurality ofelectrode needles6, respectively having variousconductive needle parts6aof lengths different from each other, are prepared. Thus, during the thermotherapy operation, one of thevarious electrode needles6 is selectively coupled to themain casing5 to correspond to a size of the lesion of a patient. That is, the length of theconductive needle part6amust be longer than a depth of a part of the lesion through that the tip of theelectrode needle6 passes. Therefore, theconductive needle part6acauterizes the lesion using the high frequency heat in a wider range than the lesion, thus firmly executing the operation.
• The operation of the conventional electrode device for the high frequency thermotherapy is as follows. As shown inFIG. 2, theelectrode needle6, having theconductive needle part6acorresponding to the size of thelesion100 of the patient, is coupled to themain casing5. Thereafter, theelectrode cable4 connects theelectrode needle6 to a high-frequency generator which is not shown. An electrode pad2, which is in contact with a body of the patient, is connected to the high-frequency generator through an additional electrode cable.
• Thereafter, thecooling tube3, which is coupled to themain casing5, is connected to a cooling pump (not shown) to circulate cooling water to or from theelectrode needle6.
• In the above state, theelectrode needle6 is inserted into thelesion100, such as the cancer tissues of the organ of the patient. Thereafter, the high frequency wave is supplied to theconductive needle part6aof theelectrode needle6, except for theinsulating needle part6b,from the high-frequency generator. Thus, thelesion100 is cauterized, and thus, necrotized by high frequency heat.
• After the operation of cauterizing thelesion100 is completed, theelectrode needle6 is removed from the body of the patient.
• However, the conventional electrode device for the high frequency thermotherapy is problematic as follows.
• First, because the length of theconductive needle part6aof theelectrode needle6 is fixed, the conventional electrode device forces a user to purchase a plurality ofelectrode needles6, of which theconductive needle parts6arespectively have different lengths, and selectively use one of the plurality ofelectrode needles6 according to a size of thelesion100.
• That is, the user must purchase thevarious electrode needles6, of which theconductive needle parts6arespectively have different lengths, for example, 1 cm, 2 cm, 3 cm and etc., prior to selectively using one of thevarious electrode needles6. Therefore, the conventional electrode device forces the user to pay excessively, in addition to causing inconvenience for the user.
• Second, in case that the thermotherapy operation is repeatedly executed several times on thelesion100, or in case that the thermotherapy operation is executed while changing a plurality ofelectrode needles6, theelectrode needles6 must be repeatedly inserted into and removed from a target portion of the patient body with thelesion100. Therefore, the conventional electrode device causes severe pain and harm to the patient while the electrode needle(s) repeatedly prick(s) the target portion of the patient body.
• Third, in the conventional electrode device including theelectrode needle6 of which theconductive needle part6ahas a predetermined fixed length, it is very difficult to control the range of cauterizing thelesion100. That is, while thelesion100 is cauterized by theelectrode needle6 with theconductive needle part6aof the predetermined fixed length, the conventional electrode device does not have any means to control the range of cauterizing thelesion100, except for controlling the power of the high frequency wave. Therefore, theelectrode needle6 must be repeatedly inserted into thelesion100 through several parts of the patient body to cauterize thewhole lesion100
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
• Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above-mentioned problems occurring in the prior art.
• An object of the present invention is to provide an electrode device for high frequency thermotherapy, which has a structure capable of controlling a length of a predetermined part of a tip of an electrode needle, exposed from an end of a guide unit of the device to the outside, according to a size of a lesion, thus efficiently executing a thermotherapy operation, and being more convenient for a user.
• Another object of the present invention is to provide an electrode device for high frequency thermotherapy, which supplies water or liquid medicine to the lesion to increase a range of radiating a high frequency wave, and thus, to increase a range of cauterizing the lesion, so that the number of operations for inserting the electrode needle to a desired part of a patient body is reduced, even when the lesion has a wide size.
• A further object of the present invention is to provide an electrode device for high frequency thermotherapy, which has a guide tube inserted along with the electrode needle to the desired part of the patient body, so that only the electrode needle is inserted to or removed from the desired part through the inserted guide tube while the insertion of the guide tube is maintained, even when the thermotherapy operation is repeatedly executed, or the existing electrode needle is changed with another one, thus reducing pain of the patient and harm caused by repeated thermotherapy operations.
• In order to accomplish the above object, the present invention provides an electrode device for high frequency thermotherapy, including a main casing, an electrode needle coupled to a first end of the main casing, a first engaging part provided on the first end of the main casing, and a guide unit coupled to the first engaging part of the main casing to be longitudinally moved relative to the electrode needle while the electrode needle is inserted in the guide unit. The guide unit has a guide tube to receive therein the electrode needle to expose a tip of the electrode needle to an outside of an end of the guide tube, with an insulating layer provided on an outer surface of the guide tube to insulate the guide tube from an outside of the guide tube. A length of the tip of the electrode needle, which is exposed from the end of the guide tube to the outside, is varied according to a position that the guide unit is coupled to the first engaging part of the main casing.
• The electrode device may further include a three-way valve provided between the main casing and the guide unit, so that a liquid medicine or water is supplied from the three-way valve to a desired portion of a patient, thus increasing a range of cauterizing the desired portion of the patient by high frequency heat.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
• The above and other objects, features and other advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
• FIG. 1 is a front view of a conventional electrode device for high frequency thermotherapy;
• FIG. 2 is a view showing an operation of the electrode device ofFIG. 1;
• FIG. 3 is an exploded view of an electrode device for high frequency thermotherapy, according to a first embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 4 is a view of assembled important parts of the electrode device ofFIG. 3;
• FIGS. 5 and 6 are views showing an operation of the electrode device ofFIG. 3;
• FIG. 7 is a view of assembled important parts of an electrode device for high frequency thermotherapy, according to a second embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 8 is an exploded view of an electrode device for high frequency thermotherapy, according to a third embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 9ais a front view of an electrode device for high frequency thermotherapy, according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention; and
• FIGS. 9band9care partially enlarged sectional views of portions A and B ofFIG. 9a,respectively.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
• Reference should now be made to the drawings, in which the same reference numerals are used throughout the different drawings to designate the same or similar components.
• As shown inFIGS. 3 and 4, an electrode device for high frequency thermotherapy according to a first embodiment of the present invention includes amain casing5, anelectrode needle6 which is coupled to a first end of themain casing5, an electrode cable which is coupled to a second end of themain casing5 to supply a high frequency wave to theelectrode needle6, and acooling tube3 which is coupled to the second end of themain casing5 to circulate cooling water to or from theelectrode needle6.
• The electrode device further includes a first engagingpart10 which is provided on the first end of themain casing5. The firstengaging part10 has therein an externally threadedhole11. The electrode device further includes aguide unit20 which is coupled to the first engagingpart10 of themain casing5 to be longitudinally moved relative to theelectrode needle6 while theelectrode needle6 is inserted in theguide unit20. Theguide unit20 has at a first end thereof aguide tube21 to receive therein theelectrode needle6 to expose a tip of theelectrode needle6 to an outside of an end of theguide tube21, with an insulatinglayer21aprovided on an outer surface of theguide tube21 to insulate theguide tube21 from an outside of theguide tube21. Theguide unit20 further has at a second end thereof an externally threadedpart23 to engage with the internally threadedhole11 of the first engagingpart10. In the electrode device of the present invention, a length of a predetermined portion of the tip of theelectrode needle6, which is exposed from the end of theguide tube21 to the outside, is varied according to a position of theguide unit20 that is coupled to the first engagingpart10 of themain casing5.
• That is, when the externally threadedpart23 of theguide unit20 is positioned at an outer end of the internally threadedhole11 of the first engagingpart10 while engaging with the internally threadedhole11 of the first engagingpart10, the end of theguide tube21 is leveled with an end of the tip of theelectrode needle6. Thus, the tip of theelectrode needle6 is not exposed to the outside of the end of theguide tube21. In the above state, a length of the predetermined portion of the tip of theelectrode needle6, which is exposed to the outside, is varied in proportion to a depth from the outer end of the first engagingpart10 to the position that the externally threadedpart23 of theguide unit20 engages with the internally threadedhole11 of the first engagingpart10.
• Themain casing5 and theguide unit20 of the electrode device of the present invention may have another structure to control the position at which theguide unit20 is coupled to themain casing5, in place of the threaded engagement structure, according to a modified process that falls within meets and bounds of claims of the present invention, or equivalence of such meets and bounds are therefore intended to be embraced by the claims.
• The operation of the electrode device of the present invention will be described herein below. First, a conductive length L of theelectrode needle6 is controlled according to a size of a lesion of a patient body.
• That is, theguide unit20 is longitudinally moved according to the position that the externally threadedpart23 of theguide unit20 engages with the internally threadedhole11 of theengaging part10 of themain casing5. Thus, the length of the tip of theelectrode needle6, which is exposed from the end of theguide tube21 to the outside, is controlled.
• At this time, the conductive length L of the tip of theelectrode needle6, exposed from the end of theguide tube21, is a range that high frequency wave is radiated from the tip of theelectrode needle6. Therefore, the exposed conductive length L of the tip of theelectrode needle6 is controlled according to the size of the lesion.
• Thereafter, theelectrode cable4 is connected between theelectrode needle6 and a high-frequency generator which is not shown. The coolingtube3 is connected to a cooling pump (not shown) to circulate the cooling water to or from theelectrode needle6. An electrode pad2, which is in contact with the patient body, is connected to the high-frequency generator through an additional electrode cable.
• In the above state, a user inserts theelectrode needle6 and theguide tube21 of theguide unit20 into the organ of the patient body with thelesion100 after confirming a position of thelesion100, such that the tip of theelectrode needle6, exposed from the end of theguide tube21, passes through thelesion100, for example, cancer tissues. (see,FIG. 5)
• Thereafter, the high frequency wave is supplied to theelectrode needle6 by the high-frequency generator. Thus, the high frequency wave is radiated from the tip of theelectrode needle6 which is exposed from the end of theguide tube21 by the predetermined length L. Therefore, thelesion100 is cauterized, and thus, necrotized by high frequency heat.
• At this time, the high frequency wave is not radiated from a remaining part of theelectrode needle6 except for the exposed tip of theelectrode needle6, because the remaining part of theelectrode needle6 is received in theguide tube21 with the insulatinglayer21aprovided on the outer surface of theguide tube21.
• Even after theguide tube21 and theelectrode needle6 are inserted into the organ of the patient body with thelesion100, the exposed length L of the tip of theelectrode needle6 is controlled by controlling the position of theguide tube21. Therefore, it is possible to control the range of radiation of the high frequency wave, even after the insertion of theguide tube21 of theelectrode needle6.
• After the operation of cauterizing thelesion100 is completed, only theelectrode needle6 is removed from the organ of the patient body with thelesion100 while the insertion of theguide unit20 is maintained. (see,FIG. 6) The above-mentioned maintenance of the insertion of theguide unit20 leaves an inserting hole for repeated insertions of theelectrode needle6 to the organ of the patient body.
• In case that the high frequency thermotherapy is required again after the first thermotherapy operation is executed, theelectrode needle6 is inserted to the organ of the patient body with thelesion100 through theguide tube21 of theguide unit20 which was already inserted in the first thermotherapy operation.
• Therefore, even when the thermotherapy operation is repeatedly executed, it is unnecessary to insert theelectrode needle6 through a new part of the organ of the patient body with thelesion100. Thus, pain of the patient and danger caused by the insertion of theelectrode needle6 are reduced.
• As shown inFIG. 7, in an electrode device for high frequency thermotherapy according to a second embodiment of the present invention, different from the electrode device of the first embodiment ofFIG. 3 and4, anelectrode needle6 includes aconductive needle part6awhich is defined at a predetermined part of a tip of theelectrode needle6, and an insulatingneedle part6bwhich is defined at a remaining part of theelectrode needle6 except for theconductive needle part6a. Aguide tube21 of theguide unit20 to receive theelectrode needle6 therein includes a conductiveguide tube part21cwhich is defined at a predetermined part of an end of theguide tube21, and an insulatingguide tube part21awhich is defined at a remaining part of theguide tube21 except for the conductiveguide tube part21c.
• Furthermore, in the electrode device according to the second embodiment, anode andcathode electrode cables4 and4′ are respectively connected to theelectrode needle6 and theguide tube21 of theguide unit20 without the electrode pad2 which is in contact with the patient body.
• The electrode device according to the second embodiment is operated in the same manner as that described for the electrode device of the first embodiment. The electrode device of the second embodiment is preferably used in case that thelesion100 has a relative large size, or twolesions100 are positioned at a predetermined interval between them. That is, the high frequency wave is radiated from theconductive needle part6adefined at a predetermined part of a tip of theelectrode needle6. Simultaneously, the high frequency wave is also radiated from the conductiveguide tube part21cwhich is defined at the predetermined part of the end of theguide tube21 that is spaced apart from theconductive needle part6aat a length L′ of a predetermined part of the insulatingguide tube part6bwhich is exposed from the end of theguide tube21 to the outside of theguide tube21. Thus, the electrode device of the second embodiment simultaneously cauterizes the twolesions100, spaced apart from each other at the predetermined interval, using high frequency heat.
• At this time, the length L′ between theconductive needle part6aof theelectrode needle6′ and the conductiveguide tube part21cof theguide tube21 is varied according to the position that theguide unit20 is coupled to the engagingpart10 of themain casing5.
• As described above, because the operation of cauterizing thelesion100 is executed at two parts spaced apart from each other to increase the range of cauterizing thelesion100, the electrode device of the second embodiment is preferably used in the thermotherapy operation of cauterizing thelarge lesion100.
• As shown inFIGS. 8, 9a,9band9c,each of electrode devices for high frequency thermotherapy according to third and fourth embodiments of the present invention includes a three-way valve30 to insert therein theelectrode needle6. The three-way valve30 has a secondengaging part32 which is provided on a first end of the three-way valve30, with an internally threadedhole32a provided in the second engagingpart32. The three-way valve30 further has an externally threadedpart31 which is provided on a second end of the three-way valve30. The externally threadedpart31 of the three-way valve30 engages with an internally threadedhole32awhich is provided in the first engagingpart10 of themain casing5. The internally threadedhole32aof the second engagingpart32 engages with the externally threadedpart23 which is provided on the second end of theguide unit20. Thus, a liquid medicine or water is supplied from the three-way valve30 to thelesion100 of the patient body through a path defined between theelectrode needle6 and theguide tube21.
• At this time, the liquid medicine is a material, such as saline water, that increases the range of cauterizing thelesion100 of the patient body using the high frequency wave.
• The electrode device according to each of the third and fourth embodiments further includes at least onelongitudinal groove6c which is provided along theelectrode needle6 to smoothly supply the water or the liquid medicine to thelesion100.
• The electrode device according to the fourth embodiment further includes a plurality of dischargingholes21d which are provided around a circumferential outer surface of the end of theguide tube21 of theguide unit20.
• In the electrode device of each of the third and fourth embodiments, the three-way valve30 is coupled to themain casing5, and theguide unit20 is thereafter coupled to the three-way valve30. Thereafter, theelectrode needle6 is inserted to the organ of the patient body with thelesion100, thus cauterizing thelesion100 by high frequency heat.
• The liquid medicine or the water, supplied to the three-way valve30, is injected from the end of theguide tube21 to thelesion100 through the path defined between theelectrode needle6 and theguide tube21.
• Due to the liquid medicine or the water injected to thelesion100, the high frequency wave is more widely radiated to thelesion100. Thus, the range of thelesion100, cauterized by the high frequency heat, is increased.
• In the electrode device according to the fourth embodiment, the liquid medicine or the water is more evenly injected to thelesion100 through the plurality of dischargingholes21d which are provided around the circumferential outer surface of the end of theguide tube21. Therefore, the high frequency wave is more evenly and widely radiated to thelesion100, thus effectively cauterizing thelesion100.
• As described above, the electrode device for the high frequency thermotherapy of the present invention simply increases the range of thelesion100, cauterized by the high frequency heat, during the operation of cauterizing thelesion100. Thus, the number of insertions of theelectrode needle6 on the patient body is reduced. Therefore, the electrode device of the present invention reduces the pain of the patient and simplifies the thermotherapy operation.
• In the electrode device according to each of the third and fourth embodiments, the three-way valve30 may be coupled to a separate valve while being provided between theengaging part10 and theguide unit20. The three-way valve30 must have a structure capable of supplying the liquid medicine or the water to thelesion100 through the path defined between theelectrode needle6 and theguide tube21.
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY
• As described above, the present invention provides an electrode device for high frequency thermotherapy, which has a structure capable of controlling a length of a predetermined part of a tip of an electrode needle, exposed from an end of a guide unit to the outside, according to a size of a lesion, thus efficiently executing a thermotherapy operation, and being more convenient for a user. Furthermore, the electrode device of the present invention has a guide tube inserted along with the electrode needle to the lesion of the patient body. Thus, only the electrode needle is inserted to or removed from the lesion through the inserted guide tube while the insertion of the guide tube is maintained, even when the thermotherapy operation is repeatedly executed, or the existing electrode needle is changed with another one. Therefore, the electrode device of the present invention reduces pain of the patient and harm caused by the repeated thermotherapy operations.
• Furthermore, the electrode device for the high frequency thermotherapy of the present invention has a structure capable of supplying water or liquid medicine to the lesion to increase a range of radiation of a high frequency wave, thus increasing a range of cauterizing the lesion. Therefore, the number of operations for inserting the electrode needle to the lesion of the patient body is reduced, even when the lesion has a wide size.

Claims (5)

1. An electrode device for high frequency thermotherapy, comprising a main casing; an electrode needle coupled to a first end of the main casing; an electrode cable coupled to a second end of the main casing to supply a high frequency wave to the electrode needle; a cooling tube coupled to the second end of the main casing to circulate cooling water to or from the electrode needle, and further comprising:

a first engaging part provided on the first end of the main casing; and

a guide unit coupled to the first engaging part of the main casing to be longitudinally moved relative to the electrode needle while the electrode needle is inserted in the guide unit, the guide unit comprising:

a guide tube to receive therein the electrode needle to expose a tip of the electrode needle to an outside of an end of the guide tube, with an insulating layer provided on an outer surface of the guide tube to insulate the guide tube from an outside of the guide tube,

wherein a length of the tip of the electrode needle, which is exposed from the end of the guide tube to the outside, is varied according to a position that the guide unit is coupled to the first engaging part of the main casing.

2. The electrode device according toclaim 1, wherein the electrode needle comprises:

a conductive needle part defined at a predetermined part of the tip of the electrode needle; and

an insulating needle part defined at a remaining part of the electrode needle except for the conductive needle part; and

the guide tube of the guide unit to receive the electrode needle therein comprises:

a conductive guide tube part defined at a predetermined part of the end of the guide tube; and

an insulating guide tube part defined at a remaining part of the guide tube except for the conductive guide tube part.

3. The electrode device according toclaim 1, further comprising:

a three-way valve to insert therein the electrode needle, the three-way valve comprising:

a second engaging part provided on a first end of the three-way valve, with an internally threaded hole provided in the second engaging part; and

an externally threaded part provided on a second end of the three-way valve,

wherein the externally threaded part of the three-way valve engages with an internally threaded hole provided in the first engaging part of the main casing, and the internally threaded hole of the second engaging part engages with an externally threaded part provided on the second end of the guide unit, so that a liquid medicine or water is supplied from the three-way valve to a desired part of a patient body through a path defined between the electrode needle and guide tube.

4. The electrode device according toclaim 3, further comprising:

at least one longitudinal groove provided along the electrode needle.

5. The electrode device according toclaim 3, further comprising:

a plurality of discharging holes provided around a circumferential outer surface of the end of the guide tube of the guide unit.

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